Improvement in harvesters of corn and sugar-cane



' c. w. NgYosr, or CINGrNNA'rr, Assrenon To G. w. n. Yosr t co., or YEL- LOW SPRINGS, OHIO.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent NQ. 29,31, dated July 1l), 1860.

d lb all toliom it may concern:v

Be it known that I, G. W. N. YGST, of Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have Vinvented a new and Improved Oorn and Su gar-Cane Harvester; and l do here-. by declare that the following is afuli and ex-V act description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.` 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents atop view of my machine with the main platform removed to show the gearing; Fig. 2 is aside elevation, and 1Jig. 3 a viewof the links in the endless chain.

My rnachine is supported by three wheels,

l TW, W", and S, and lanysui'table frame, M M,

drawn in the usual way by a tongue or spire,

-N. The front-wheel, S, whichwill be more fullydescribed hereinafter, is a caster-wheel, for convenience in turning the machine. The

hind wheels are the driving-wheels for operat Ving the endless-,chains I'I and the reel-shaft -The hind axle, a, turns with-its" wheels W W', and carries a cog-wheel, which gears into thecog-wheel zon the shaft b. Therefore when themachine movesforwarrd both the axlea and the s haftb are made to revolve. Consequently I support the plat-form K, which extends obliquely backward and upward and then curves downward, as seen at K. -Thebars L L form a rear platform, which may be` folded up by means of hinges c c to allow themachine to turn without knocking down the corn.

0n one side of my harvester is a knif'e, B,

Hset at a proper angle, with its edge inclined u'pward and its point downward. This knife is about three feet in lengthand three inches in width.' Itis madeof sheet-steel and held by the knife-supporter A, Vwhichis of wood and extends beyond the point of the knife, as see`n at g. The heel of the knife must be set a shorty distance from the frame, and the knife-supporter A should be somewhat'cut away, so as to allow a free space behind the knife, as seen atf, for the purpose of preventing. clicking and of permitting uncut stalks, tangle, Src., to pass outfreely. forward in a proper direction for the stalks of corn or cane to come between the knife B and the-frame M, the edge of the knife strikes the \.stalks`wtha sliding cut. vAt the same time the guard g, the revolving arms D, and drum E of the reel gather the stalks and pressthem against the knife -to insure the complete cutting of all lthe stalks. The curvedends of the arms' D, as they revolve, prevent the stalks from falling over the knife away fromy the machine, and they also carry the cut stalks along' to insure their fall across the platform K. 1t is necessary to place the reel-shaft O near one side of the machine in such position that the drum E and arms D will press hardest against the stalks near the center of the knife, and re'- lease them just in time to let them failacross the machine. As the'chains J J are in motion they cbnstantl y carry the stalks backward and deposit them upon the platform L L; The action of the chains is facilitated by the pins ss, cast with the strap or open'links, as shown in Fig. 3. The stalks and leaves are prevented from eu'tangling in the chainfthe frame, or the hind wheels by the platform K. In like manner the guard Fand drum'E preventthe stalks and leaves from enltangling in the frame Gr or' inthe reel. When a shock of corn has accumulated on the rear'platform, L, it may be unloaded by simply thrusting a stake down between the bars L L, near'the butts of the stalks and close to the hinge c, quite into the groundA beneath. As the machine moves on the stake will clear the platform and swi'ng'thebutts of the stalks out ofthe way ofthe machine at the next round.

' On the axle'a, near each hub-wheel, is fixed a ratchet-wheel, Y, into which a pawl catches. This pawl is'fastenetl upon the hind wheel. The ratchet and pawl make'the wheels and' axle revolve together when the machine moves forward, and yet the wheels are prevented from giving a reverse motion to the'aXle in case the machine is moved backward.

The forward wheel, S, is cast upon its shaft R, which runs upon Babbitts metal in bearings p p of the circle P. The circumference of circle P is tnrnedpff, leaving twov lips, between which is placed a wrought-iron band, Q. This Now, as the machine is drawn f 2. The combination and arrangement of the knife 13,-drnm E, and arms D, gua-rd F, endless chains J, and inclined platform I, the whole operating substantially as described, for the purpose of cutting cornstalks or cane and carrying the same to the rear of the machine when cut.

Cr. W. N. yYOST.

Witnesses:

DANIEL BREED, JOSEPHUs PARSONS. 

